Nomad
by Comatoes
Summary: [NejixOC] So apparently the original summary was deterring. So another: She wanted retribution for her losses, he just wanted her to leave him alone. Read on!
1. A Happy Family Scene

AUTHOR'S NOTES AND SUCHLIKE: Woot! Hello fellow Naruto fans! This is my first ever Naruto fanfic .. I don't read the Manga unfortunately so the facts might be a little off, so bear with me.. If there's any glaring mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll fix it as best I can. I'm also doing my best not to make my OC a Mary Sue, and I'm probably failing miserably so if there's any advice any of you authors out there wanna give me, It'd be much appreciated. Ciao!

Also, before I get to the story, a little note on Nomads: I didn't want my character to come from a village, so I decided to make my own kinda thing. Nomads are basically gypsies. They trade freely with all the Hidden Shinobi Villages (Excepting Sound) and are on fairly good terms with everyone. Their skill with weilding weapons is unrivalled. That's probably about all anyone needs to know for now. More on them probably a little later.

Anyways! No more delay! On with the story!  
Love, Comatoes.  
-  
Aya heard the song of her new obsidian blades whistling through the air and knew then that there could be no sweeter sound. She had waited long years for this most precious of gifts; as long as she could remember, and now, in soft new leather gauntlets on her forearms were the reward of many years of blood, toil, dedication and perseverance. The bond between a ninja and her blades was unbreakable and sacred.

She made a couple more sweeping strikes through the air before turning to face her parents. Their faces positively glowed with pride.  
'Our little girl.' Her father said affectionately, leaning down and pinching Aya's ear. 'A true fighter at last'  
Aya shook her head and grinned, cuffing him lightly on the cheek, but not before making sure the precious new claws were retracted.  
'I was a fighter the day I was born!' She proclaimed, puffing out her chest. 'I just got some shiny new weapons today! And I intend to make good use of them'  
Her mother nodded, smiling serenely. 'I felt just the same way when I got my first claws.' She said, her eyes sparkling. 'And I know I was eager as anything to test them out in the training grounds! Run along, little kitten, but make sure you're back by dinnertime! Remember, tonight is special, and just for you'  
'Do you think Youkai will decide to be there?' Aya inquired, referring to her wayward twin brother.  
Her mother's smile faded a little bit as she considered this question. 'I honestly don't know little kitten, but your father and I will certainly do our best to persuade him. You are his sister after all, and he should never forget that. Now off you go!' She said, giving Aya a little shove. 'We'll take care of Youkai. You just have fun.'

Aya needed no further bidding. She hurtled off to the training grounds as fast as her short legs could carry her. 


	2. Slaughter in the Setting Sun

The sun dipped below the horizon, bathing everything in molten gold and throwing dancing shadows on a small girl so intent on slicing apart a wooden target that she didn't even look up. But she smelled the smoke and remembered suddenly that tonight was a night for celebrations in her honour, and it certainly wouldn't do if the special guest was late. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she sighed. She'd intended to go earlier than this, to clean herself up and get ready. But as usual she'd got carried away and completely absorbed in what she was doing. It seemed to be an unfortunate talent of hers.

She walked heedlessly in the direction of the smoky smell, still intent on mentally perfecting a new move she'd come up with. It only became apparent to her when she came closer to the camp that the smoke, now stronger, had taken on a certain unpleasantness in its smell. Aya wondered at this momentarily before her thoughts wandered back to their original path. The black shadows flitting past her barely registered in her mind, and the muffled cries for help fell on deaf ears.

Until she crossed into the clearing where the nomad camp had been, and saw complete and utter chaos.

She watched from the far side of the clearing as people scattered everywhere, fleeing from burning tents and caravans. They weren't making it very far, however, before being cut down brutally by green-vested assassins that swarmed the camp and its terrified occupants like flies on a carcass. They were sparing no one. Men, women and children alike were falling as they ran, wild-eyed with fear, desperate for anywhere that represented safety.

'Apparently the legendary Nomads are no more than cowardly milksops.' Sneered a voice suddenly, disturbingly soft but carrying perfectly on the smoke-laden wind. 'Unrivalled masters of weapons! Hah! And I actually thought that this mission would be foolhardy! Kabuto, have we found them yet'  
'We found the boy and the parents,' Another voice replied. Aya had to squint through the smoke to see that it belonged to a tall shape with a shock of long, almost iridescent silver hair. There was a short silence.  
'Go on..' The first voice said, so venomous that even from where she was standing Aya could almost feel the other recoiling.  
'Well..We don't know where the girl is. I.. don't think she was at the camp.' 'She had better be found quickly, Kabuto. It looks like the Nomads are beginning to rally. Take the boy and the parents away and continue searching. Everyone here is expendable, shed as much blood as you like, employ whatever tactics you care to. But she MUST be found. Torture it out of the parents if you want but the boy must not be harmed, nor the girl when she is taken into our custody. You know what will happen to anyone who lays a heavy hand on them'  
'Yes, Orochimaru-sama.' The silver-haired Kabuto nodded. 'We will continue to search.'

It took a few moments for Aya's blurred mind to realise that it was she that these murderers were looking for, and that it was her parents and Youkai had just been kidnapped.

She stood frozen stock-still for seconds that ticked by with the length of eternities, too gripped with terror to move. She closed her eyes, hoping desperately that if she couldn't see, she couldn't be seen. She knew it was flawed logic but logic at this moment evaded her. All she was aware of was the massacre at the camp, and the knowledge that the ones that had taken the rest of her family were now after her.Through all this somehow it had never occured to her to run. She just stood, eyes closed and still as the rocks at her feet, trying incredibly hard to blend with the lengthening shadows and surrounding shrubbery.

Aya never realised that the trick had actually worked. The patrol was sure they had caught a shimmer, a reflection, a glimpse of red and black, but they were too unsure of what they had seen to go after it. After all, it had flickered out of existence just as quickly as it had been noticed. They continued on their search, oblivious that their target was mere inches away from them, hoping desperately and praying to whatever higher power that existed that she wouldn't be found by these monsters.

She stayed on her feet all that terrible night, unmoving, eyes closed with senses strangely heightened. Every moment that passed she felt sure would bring her closer to her capture, but somehow the inevidable never came. The place was crawling with patrols but amazingly even as close as they got to her, she was never once detected. Wondering at her incredible fortune, she listened as they began to move off, either back home or to another place to search. she was relatively safe for the time being.

It was dawn by the time Aya had worked up the courage to open her eyes to slits and witness the havoc that had been wrought while she was cowering. She noted cynically from her vantage point the way the early morning light illuminated the destroyed camp, filtering through the smoke that was still dancing, and making the carnage almost seem picturesque. Bile rose to her throat at the thought of going down to the charred remains and looking for clues at who had taken her family and obliterated everything she ever knew.

It took her hours to work up the courage to fight back the nausea and the fear and move from her spot, but she was rewarded almost immediately. A metallic shine caught her eye and upon investigating further, she discovered a ninja's forehead protector bearing an unfamiliar symbol.

A music note.

The conversation between the poisonous-voiced villain and his silver haired subordinate flashed in her mind, hardening her resolve. They were the ones that ordered this, and they were who she would hunt for the rest of her days. 


	3. Zabuza: Babysitter of Talented Children

Why Momochi Zabuza had taken on another young charge still baffled him, and probably everyone he came across. A fearsome swordsman of questionable repute flanked always by a ten-year-old girl, and a thirteen-year old boy. What an absurd picture he must make these days. He reassured himself once again that in the long run things would work out. He already knew that Haku was a prodigy, could tell from the moment he lay eyes on the frail effeminate child that he was a rare and precious talent. And Aya, though slow to start, was coming along nicely too. One day he knew that even he himself, The Devil of the Mists, would be outmatched in the arts of subtlety and quiet deadliness by this tiny nomad girl. He would teach these two everything he knew so that he could posess the most powerful weapons one could wield.

So he trained them vigorously. Day-in, day out. It was gruelling work, and Zabuza was neither a patient nor caring tutor. Yet he found his students adept, and they flourished under his hard brand of teaching, though both had very different reasons as to why.

For Haku it was simple gratitude. He would work himself long after any other would have been well beyond their own limit, powered simply by the sheer dedication to the mentor who had rescued him from certain death at the hands of fellow Mist-Villagers. Haku loved Zabuza fiercely, and had once swore solemnly to Aya that if it came to it, he would gladly sacrifice himself to save the swordsman.  
'He's my older brother, the father that mine should have been but wasn't, my teacher, and my savior.' He had said vehemently upon being asked why he worked so hard. 'My life would have been over so long ago if it weren't for him, and I can't go happily unless I return the favour. When a person has someone important to protect, that's when they become truly strong'  
Aya had nodded and said nothing, not quite grasping the feelings behind Haku's words.

For her it was simply means to an end, as was everything she had done since leaving the destroyed camp over a month ago. Young and inexperienced as she was, she'd found a focus within herself that she never knew she had. Now she had a cause, a purpose. A great mission that overshadowed everything. Find her family, and destroy those who had taken them away from her. Her selfish little heart longed to regain what was rightfully hers. Every ninja had their own purpose, their own drive, And this was Aya's, and she would do anything to fulfil it. Time was a non-factor to her, she would wait patiently until she was skilled enough to strike them at their very core, wherever that was.

Her only clue still being the music-note forehead protector. She had presented it to a surprised Zabuza and Haku mere minutes after encountering them, asking boldly if they knew anything about where it had come from and foolishly proclaiming that she would single-handedly hunt down and annihalate anyone with that symbol anywhere on their person.

She simply couldn't comprehend why the small boy's eyes lit up with guilty amusement, and the terrifying man towering over her had snorted derisively. There was nothing funny about what she had said, she was sure, and yet there they were, standing before her laughing. Bafflement suddenly gave way to a burning anger. Aya clenched her tiny fists, blinking back tears of rage and embarassment. They were making fun of her! They were making fun of her cause, her great mission! She couldn't lift her eyes from the ground lest they see the tears forming.

'Go away, little girl.' The man growled, suddenly tiring of bullying such a small child. 'Look at you, standing there crying like a brat who lost her kitten. Run home to your mummy. You couldn't hurt a fly, let alone take on a whole village by yourself.'

Aya couldn't do anything else but turn tail and flee, humiliation flushing her pale face scarlet.

Zabuza shook his head, looking to Haku, who still wore a guilty expression.  
'Kid, you're lucky you're with me. You'll never end up cowardly and weak like her if I'm training you.' 'I kind of feel sorry for her, Zabuza-san.' Haku replied, watching Aya's retreating back. 'She doesn't seem to know very much about the world. And she's only very little and seems quite bent on something that she obviously can't do'  
'That's not our problem kid. She talks big, but you know as well as I do she's soft'  
'Suppose. I still feel sorry for her though'  
'Forget about it. We gotta move on, anyway. She might squeal to her parents about us, and I don't particularly feel like being hunted down today'  
With that, they turned and moved off.

Aya hadn't run very far before the helpless rage she was feeling manifested itself into something she had never felt before. Her whole body shook with with it so strongly that she had to stop for a second and catch her breath. She looked over her shoulder to see if the pair that had laughed at her were still watching. They had turned around and almost autonomously she seized her chance to strike.

She made no noise as she closed the gap between herself and the two, not even the barely discernable whistle of the obsidian claws being unsheathed gave her away. After all, silence had always been her talent. And so good was she at being silent that Zabuza only noticed that Aya was there when she landed with a tiny thump right in front of him, eyes blazing, wearing a smile that looked almost unholy on such a small child.  
'Never turn your back to me.' She said, her voice fairly dripping with smug triumph. 'Or next time you'll need stitches.'

Zabuza couldn't help but show his surprise when his hand left his back and found it soaked with blood. The claws were so sharp he hadn't felt them rip into his flesh as Aya had launched herself over his considerable height. Maybe there was hope for the little wretch after all, and being the opportunist he was, Zabuza couldn't resist the idea of adding another tool to his collection.

And so Aya joined the infamous Devil of the Mist and his young protegee. 


	4. An Unfortunate Tragedy

Boredom seemed to hang in the air like an aura; which was something Aya, in her two years since first meeting Haku and Zabuza, could never get used to. Quiet days made her uneasy, but they had told her to take a break today, and take a break she would do. There had been a strange tenseness in Haku's voice that morning as he gently chided her about training too hard. Zabuza, of course, had been his usual enlightening self; merely saying that Aya wasn't yet good enough to join them a mission as dangerous as the one they were about to go on. 

The twelve year old had tried hard not to take this personally, but as insensitive as she tried to be, Aya couldn't help feeling a little hurt. She was well aware of her flaws as a shinobi; her Ninjutsu being a little better than hopeless and her Genjutsu being practically nonexistent, but to be told she wasn't good enough to do something was still a blow to her rather large ego.

_Just because Haku has an advanced bloodline._ She thought sulkily as she slouched around the long-abandoned temple they had nicknamed their headquarters._ If I could do one-handed Jutsus and make things from water like he can I'd have had my family back long ago._  
But, she reminded herself with a hint of bitterness, she couldn't. So it a was a moot point and not worth thinking about.

Still, hadn't Haku told her on more than one occasion that he'd give up any of his remarkable talents for Aya's prowess with weapons? Hadn't Zabuza, the _Legendary Swordsman Zabuza_ -albeit hesitantly- admitted to Haku in the quiet of the night when he thought she was sleeping that he'd never seen anything like the way she seemed to disappear into thin air? Stealth was part of the way a ninja (Especially a Nomad ninja such as herself) did things, and Aya had stealth in bucketloads.

Just not much of anything else.

She couldn't help but wonder how long the mist-nins would be gone. Now that she thought on it, they'd never mentioned when they'd be back.  
_Probably weeks and weeks._ She mused with the overexaggeration of a bored pre-teen. _I'll be all alone here for weeks and weeks and I'll probably starve and die._  
Of course, she knew that was unreasonable, if worst came to worst she could hunt and gather her own food and survive just fine on her own. It was just that she didn't want to. Aya was a sociable sort and already she was missing Haku's quiet friendly conversation and the security of Zabuza's fearsome presence. But at least she could admit to herself that she missed them, and that the uneasy feeling that had been haunting her all day was beginning to become a little more than a worry.

So, with no particular direction in mind, she began to walk; Hoping to at least bump into someone she could talk to for a little while.

She came to the newly built bridge just as the shadows were lengthening in the late afternoon. Everything here seemed just as quiet and lazy as it had at the crumbling temple, but Aya noticed that some of the recently set stones had suspicious red smears on them. Nothing seemed out of kilter now though, and she continued undauntedly on, noticing to her joy a couple of people standing over something on the bridge. Finally! Someone to keep her company while she waited for Haku and Zabuza to come back!

A wide grin spread across her face as she hailed the group cheerfully. None of them returned her jovial greeting. Undaunted, she approached them, only noticing as she got closer that the small group seemed somewhat subdued, concern etched in each of their faces. Aya only had to wonder for a second before she could see what they were standing around. Immediately her grin faded.

A boy, no more in years than herself lay torn and bleeding on the stones, despite what must have been miles of bandages covering most of his body. His face was deathlike and although he looked to be in an unfathomable amount of pain, he was still conscious.

He lifted his head up a fraction, ignoring the protests of a pink-haired girl that was clutching his hand, and gave Aya a look that sent shivers down her spine.  
'Are you a medic?' he managed to rasp out before his head fell back on the stones. She could only shake her head mutely. The look that boy had given her had somehow momentarily taken away her ability to speak. There was a pregnant pause before he spoke again.  
'Then GO AWAY. No one here wants to talk to you.'

Aya, who always thought she had a skill in handling insults, found herself cut to the quick at the boy's harsh words. He was probably right of course, she knew nothing about treating injuries and even less about who these people were and why they were here in the first place. She nodded and turned to leave. They all had bigger concerns and she wasn't about to go annoying them if someone needed medical attention.

She could understand that, but the sting was still there nonetheless.

A hand gently placed on her shoulder stopped her from going any further. Turning around, her eyes couldn't help but widen. Aya had never seen anyone that looked like the man standing before her.

Hatake Kakashi was, in the most broadest of terms/unique/ looking. Not so much the whole of him, his height was average and his build wiry and unremarkable, but his face was one that a person could never forget. Especially his eyes.  
Actually, only his eyes, because he always wore a cloth mask concealing his mouth and nose. But his eyes were enough, Aya thought. One was a murky silver grey, and the other was a ruby red, incredibly deep, with not one but two of the strangest shaped pupils that Aya had ever seen. The whole effect conjured up images of tadpoles swimming in blood.

'You'll have to excuse Sasuke.' Kakashi said suddenly, making Aya jump. 'Kid's even more of a prat when he's injured than usual, especially since he flatly refuses to remain unconscious, and we're outta painkillers so there's nothing more we can do for him. But hopefully the medical-nins will be here soon.' He looked over his shoulder at the two youngsters that were hovering around their injured friend. 'Then we can all go home'  
'Been a rough day?' Aya ventured to ask. She didn't want to pry, but she couldn't help but wonder what had happened for the boy to get hurt so horribly.  
Kakashi nodded but didn't elaborate. Having nothing more to say, he turned back to a weakly groaning Sasuke.

Another boy with fluffy blonde hair and sad looking blue eyes detatched himself from the group and sauntered over to Aya, who was still standing there not entirely sure whether she should leave them alone or stay and wait with them until the medical nins turned up. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his bright orange jumpsuit and gave a lopsided half-grin.  
'This is our first mission,' he said proudly, his tone belying the look in his eyes. 'It could have been a lot worse than it was too! You should have seen the guys we had to fight! One of them had teeth filed to points and a HUUUUUGE Sword!' He gestured dramatically.

Aya had only been half listening, but the blonde's proclamation snapped her to full attention. Her heart leapt dangerously in her chest and she could feel slick sweat on the palms of her hands. The nagging worry about her companions increased tenfold and threatened to turn into fullblown panic. The boy had just unwittingly described two of Momochi Zabuza's most defining features. The boy continued to talk, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the girl seemed suddenly frozen.

'Me and my team beat them, though! Well.. Actually, they kinda beat themselves...' His voice trailed off and his bravado failed him. The boys shoulders sagged as he remembered something he'd much rather forget. 'It shouldn't have happened the way it did,' he muttered, more to himself than anyone. 'But it was one of the bravest things I've ever seen in my life'  
Aya could barely manage to ask what he was talking about without choking on her words.

And it seemed the very air had become unbreathable with the boy haltingly explained how the younger ninja of the pair they were fighting had jumped in front of the older to protect him from the deadly Raikiri Kakashi had unleashed. Tears were forming despite himself as he recalled the ninja's whispered last words of devotion before his untimely death, and the final, frenzied moments of the sharp-toothed sword wielder. 'Gatou had broken the little guy's arm and spat on his corpse after he died, see.' the boy said, screwing his eyes shut and taking a deep breath 'And that seemed to make the other guy crazy. I've never seen anything like it. He must have killed about 20 of them before he had so many spears and sticks sticking into him that his arms stopped working. But you know what he did? He took a kunai in his mouth and continued to mow them down, right to Gatou, hiding at the very back. He killed that jerk right before he shut down himself. He managed to drag himself back to his dead friend though before he died'  
He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and only just noticed the utterly devastated look on the girl's face.

'He always said he would gladly sacrifice himself' She whispered brokenly. 'Haku's life ended protecting who he loved. He must have died happy'  
'He went with a smile on his face. They both did.' He said, awkwardly offering a shoulder which Aya gratefully leaned on. Her legs could barely support her weight they were shaking so violently. Silence reigned for a few seconds.

'You knew them?' A new voice broke in. It was the pink-haired girl, she'd stood up and there was a ferocious look in her eyes, which were light green and almost iridescent with anger.  
'I trained with them for two years.' Aya mumbled, looking firmly at the stony ground so she couldn't see the anger building up in the girl. 'They are..were..my best friends in the whole world. They looked after me... They were nice...'

Aya felt so numb from shock that the fact that the other girl had punched her squarely in the jaw barely registered. She only realised that she'd been knocked to the ground when the damp cold of the stones seeped through the shide of her shirt. But she didn't move, she just lay there, wishing she were dead too.

It took both Kakashi and and the blonde boy to keep the enraged girl from beating Aya to a bloody pulp right there and then. 'It's not her fault, Sakura! She wasn't there!' the boy said, trying his best to calm and restrain her.  
'Exactly, Naruto! THAT'S EXACTLY IT!' the girl known as Sakura raged. 'If she was there, she could have stopped them! It's HER fault Sasuke's hurt! I hate her'  
'At least Sasuke will live.' Replied Kakashi quietly, noticing that in the middle of the furor the white-clad medical nin had arrived and were gingerly loading the subject of their argument -Sasuke, not Aya- onto a stretcher.  
Sakura didn't respond. She'd slipped out of their grasp and had now retaken her position next to Sasuke, taking his cold hand in hers, but not before shooting a look of the purest loathing at her new nemesis that still lay curled up on the ground. She headed off with the medical nin, not wanting to be around the hated Aya any longer.

Eventually Naruto and Kakashi departed too, and Aya was left alone on the bridge, oblivious to everything but the gaping, burning hole that had been torn out of her very soul.

The next morning the grey-haired Jounin returned to the bridge to find the tiny girl still curled up, eyes wide and bloodshot. A jolt of sympathy shot through him. He knew the pain she was feeling all too well, he'd lived with it most of his life.  
He crouched down beside the unseeing Aya and asked if she had anywhere to go, and was surprised that when he offered to take her back to Konoha, she uncurled and nodded her head slowly.

After all, she had nothing left. She no longer cared where she went and what she did. Everything dear to her was gone.


	5. Rain, Ramen and Reacquaintances

/Author's Notes and suchlike: Okay, so.. Having artist's block and writer's block at the same time blows goats. Seriously. But I've added a new chapter, and I PROMISE we're getting closer to actually having NEJI in the fic! YAY NEJI!  
Neji appears from apparent obscurity  
Neji: Monotone Yay me.  
Anyways, sorry it's taking so long, but I gotta explain HOW they come to meet, right? RIGHT? Even if it takes like 5 chapters and you people get ABSOLUTELY BORED STIFF WAITING? Yeah, things will move along somewhat in the next couple chapters. You got my word on that. No more delay! Onwards to the story! And uh, if you review, you'll have my undying love. It's THAT easy.  
Neji: That was tactful. 

Ignore him and stuff.\

-  
It was seven years later when it finally dawned on her that, on that hellish day of the death of her friends, she'd completely forgotten to ask about the music note forehead protector.

And she hadn't stayed in the Hidden Leaf Village long enough to ask. She'd fled the same day she got there. Luck had smiled on her though. Two days later she'd found another Nomad caravan wandering through the area and they, seeing one of their own in need of help, had taken her in without question. And that was where she had been, training under the blademasters with an almost feverish dedication until she'd surpassed all but the very greatest of the Nomad weapon-bearers.

Her Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were still atrocious, of course, but she'd long ago resigned herself to that fact. So she concentrated all her considerable focus into what the her people were revered for, and a bad attitude had grown considerably along with her skill. Aya was well known for being not only a grade-a fighter, but also a grade-a bitch.

She never meant to be arrogant, or rude, or condescending but somehow it had just become a natural reflex. Maybe it was because it was the best way of keeping people at arm's length. The deaths of her friends, even seven years on, were still a raw wound that she knew would never heal. She'd never get over the pain, and she knew that opening up to anyone else and losing them would destroy her. Her selfishness was the thing that kept her alive, sane and so singularly driven.

She avoided as much contact with other people as humanly possible. The cheery, sociable child had long since died, and had been replaced by a snarling, biting animal.

The last thing that animal wanted to do was return to Konoha.

But it had to be done. Aya mused as she packed up her things. And quickly. The caravan had come full circle and was now making its unhurried way through the Country of Fire. In all these years she had never forgotten her quest to find her family, not the she held any hope for them being alive now. She had prepared herself for that, it had taken her a long time to resign herself to retribution. And retribution she would have. Only when the still-beating hearts of her two most hated enemies were in her bloodied hands would she be satisfied. She smiled inwardly as she thought about that. It made the notion of going back to Konoha again almost bearable.

Almost.

Her return to the Hidden Leaf Village was heralded by a downpour so fierce that she'd had to reluctantly postpone her search until the weather cleared up. Casting about for somewhere to hole up until the awful deluge let up just a little, Aya spotted an unassuming looking noodle bar and dashed towards it.  
It was blessedly empty save one or two graveyard-shifters grabbing a bite to eat before heading for home and bed. She ordered a bowl of chicken Ramen and set about making a plan.

Naruto's love of ramen was second only to his love of being alive. It had been like that since as long as he could remember, and he knew it could never change. That was why having come back from a particularly exhausting recon mission to the Sound Country, instead of heading for home like a good little shinobi, he braved the horrendous weather and headed straight for the Ichiraku. His favourite noodle bar was now open twenty four hours, and he felt sure he was hungry enough to down at least four sizeable bowls before he went to bed. Man that sounded good right about now. He felt a little pang of guilt for whoever the poor sap was that had taken his place in the permanent surveillence of the sound village. He definitely didn't envy them their job tonight.

It was only after he'd wolfed down his second bowl of steaming hot noodles that he noticed the girl a few stools over and almost fell backwards.

He looked like he was staring, of course, but it was the only way he could confirm her identity, though hers wasn't a face easily forgotten. His suspicions were confirmed almost immediately.

_Black and red dreadlocks, check  
So pale she's almost reflective, check  
Rediculously chunky, non-regulation steel trim boots, check  
Black leather gauntlets on her forearms, check._

When the girl looked up and momentarily locked eyes with him, he was absolutely certain.

_The eyes have it_ He thought, grinning at his little pun._ Like a cat's. One grey and one green_

_Check MATE._

Naruto wasn't one that could ever be called shy, especially when renewing old acquaintances. He plonked himself unceremoniously on the stool next to hers. She didn't look up this time.

'Whenever you're done staring.' Aya muttered into her food. Clearly she didn't remember him. He scowled, unused to people not remembering his face. He'd have to dredge up a recollection somehow.  
'So why'd you run away?' He asked bluntly. She flinched, barely. That had done it.  
'None of your damn business.' She replied in a tone that was harsher than she meant it to be. 'Leave me the hell alone.'

Naruto was a little taken aback. He remembered her as friendly and approachable, even in the midst of her grief she had still stuck up conversation with him on the way back home that awful day so many years ago. Now her whole countenance seemed to scream at him to go away.

He wondered what had warped her so.

'You could have stayed in Konoha, you know.' Naruto continued, a little hesitantly, by way of appeasement. 'I don't think you could have been an official Leaf nin, since your not from here but it would have been cool anyway. You could still have fought alongside us'  
Even if she wasn't looking at him, Naruto could /feel/ the look of absolute disgust on her face. Well, appeasement had failed.  
'I hate Konoha.' She replied, her voice a barely checked growl. 'The only reason I came back was because I had to. I have something important I'm looking for.' Naruto noticed her wrap her hand around something metallic she had pulled from a well-concealed pocket. He knew better than to ask what it was. Best to leave now then to meddle with a foul-tempered kunoichi's personal affairs.

There was a small, awkward silence before Naruto, feeling completely and thoroughly brushed off, got up and returned to his seat and his rapidly cooling ramen.

Aya watched him go and inwardly cursed herself. Her social skills had taken more of a plunge than she thought. She honestly hadn't meant to be so rude to the fuzzy, friendly blonde kid she barely remembered, she simply couldn't help it. And on top of that she hadn't even got to ask him about the forehead protector. He'd moved off, apparently offended, just as she'd pulled it out.

Of course this meant she'd have to approach him, and just after she'd insulted him back to his seat that wouldn't be an easy feat. But it had to be done if she wanted her retribution. She shifted her weight nervously and refused to admit to herself that she was scared._You'll slaughter a man three times your size with a smile on your face and not a speck of apprehension in your mind_. She told herself angrily. _Yet when it comes to talking to someone who spoke to you first, you sieze up! Well, if you aren't the stupidest, most unreasonable creature on the planet, I don't know who is!_

But she had to ask. Her retribution depended on it, and her mother had always told her if you don't ask, you don't get. Steeled by this thought, she took a deep breath and began to muster the courage desperately needed to approach him.

Unfortunately Naruto had disappeared into the rainy night before the much-needed bravery had been summoned.

The last thing he was expecting to see upon opening his apartment door was a five-foot tall, dreadlocked, booted, bedraggled, sopping wet and thoroughly annoyed looking Aya. He was so surprised, in fact, at the notion that this girl had tracked him to his home that he almost slammed the door in her face just to see if she'd disappear when he opened it again.

He didn't do that, though. Naruto merely looked at her and waited patiently for an explanation. He was tired, but he'd wait all night for the reason behind this novelty to reveal itself.

It was a while in coming but finally Aya looked up from a spot on the floor and at his face, defiance and -Naruto could have sworn he saw a trace of fear- apparent in her features.

'I'm..Sorry...' She spat the word out as if it were a bad taste in her mouth. 'About my behavior in the noodle place. You were only trying to be friendly and, well..I was quite awful'  
Naruto couldn't help but nod in agreement, but he softened when she saw the look in her eyes. He imagined it must have taken a lot for her to apologize. He didn't know Aya very well but her overdeveloped sense of pride was obvious. Instead of the previous notion of laughing at her, he smiled warmly. She looked suddenly relieved.  
'I won't say it's okay,' He answered, 'But I /do/ appreciate the fact that you came here to apologize. And in this rain, too. So I guess you're forgiven, especially as I'm not one to hold grudges.' Nonetheless his blue eyes narrowed just a hint.  
'But I guess that's not the only reason you followed me all this way. Am I right'  
'Well, no.' The soaked kunoichi mumbled hesitantly, returning her gaze to the floor before slowly producing the metallic object from her pocket. 'I was wondering if you knew anything about this...'

Needless to say Aya was surprised at the mean left hook that sent her sprawling. The forehead protector shot through the air and Naruto caught it. His whole being had changed in mere seconds. Pure unadulterated rage seemed to flow from him like chakra.

'This.. Is yours?' He rasped, his breath whistling violently from his chest. Aya was so stunned by this sudden transformation that she could only nod as she rubbed her aching jaw.

Before she knew it he had launched himself at her, his only thoughts of utterly obliterating the traitor that had dared show her face on his doorstep.  
--


End file.
